Mumps cases rise among teenagers and young adults
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《英国医生杂志》
Cases of mumps are running at the highest level for a decade in England and Wales.
In the first three months of this year 578 cases were reported, compared with 414 for the first quarter of 2003. In 1996, there were only 94 cases.
New figures from the Health Protection Agency show that most cases of mumps are now among young adults who missed out on vaccination in the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccination programme that began in 1988. They are now being urged to seek vaccination.
The data show that the increase in the number of cases of mumps has been largely among older children and young adults who are too old to have been offered the MMR vaccine routinely. They were toddlers before 1988.
People born before 1990 would have been offered the single measles vaccine, and most will have had the combined measles and rubella vaccine as part of the 1994 school vaccination campaign. But only a few will have received the MMR vaccine and acquired any protection against mumps. Hardly any of these people will have received a second dose of MMR, which is needed to achieve good levels of protection.
As this cohort has got older, reported cases of mumps have moved from occurring mainly in secondary schools to occurring in universities and military establishments.
The Health Protection Agency and the Department of Health say that people who did miss out on the MMR vaccine should now be offered it.
"The increase in mumps underlines the importance of children having both doses of MMR, so that they have good protection against all three diseases," said Dr Mary Ramsay of the Health Protection Agency's immunisation department.
"The agency is recommending, along with the Department of Health, that school leavers and others in this age group, for example those starting university, who have not received MMR before or only had one dose should be offered MMR.
"These are young adults and the last thing they want to get when they are doing exams or when they have just broken up, is mumps, because they could be unwell for two or three weeks.
"The disease is more severe in older individuals. Most cases are mild and people do recover, but there are risks of meningitis, deafness, and abdominal pain. Whether or not it causes permanent sterility is not really clear."(Roger Dobson)
In the first three months of this year 578 cases were reported, compared with 414 for the first quarter of 2003. In 1996, there were only 94 cases.
New figures from the Health Protection Agency show that most cases of mumps are now among young adults who missed out on vaccination in the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccination programme that began in 1988. They are now being urged to seek vaccination.
The data show that the increase in the number of cases of mumps has been largely among older children and young adults who are too old to have been offered the MMR vaccine routinely. They were toddlers before 1988.
People born before 1990 would have been offered the single measles vaccine, and most will have had the combined measles and rubella vaccine as part of the 1994 school vaccination campaign. But only a few will have received the MMR vaccine and acquired any protection against mumps. Hardly any of these people will have received a second dose of MMR, which is needed to achieve good levels of protection.
As this cohort has got older, reported cases of mumps have moved from occurring mainly in secondary schools to occurring in universities and military establishments.
The Health Protection Agency and the Department of Health say that people who did miss out on the MMR vaccine should now be offered it.
"The increase in mumps underlines the importance of children having both doses of MMR, so that they have good protection against all three diseases," said Dr Mary Ramsay of the Health Protection Agency's immunisation department.
"The agency is recommending, along with the Department of Health, that school leavers and others in this age group, for example those starting university, who have not received MMR before or only had one dose should be offered MMR.
"These are young adults and the last thing they want to get when they are doing exams or when they have just broken up, is mumps, because they could be unwell for two or three weeks.
"The disease is more severe in older individuals. Most cases are mild and people do recover, but there are risks of meningitis, deafness, and abdominal pain. Whether or not it causes permanent sterility is not really clear."(Roger Dobson)